Topsstrasse is a small street located just a stone’s throw away from the famous Max-Schmeling-Halle in the Berlin locality of Prenzlauer Berg. It is home to a 1930s residential complex that has been thoroughly renovated both inside and outside.
Extensive work on the approximately 200 apartments included the refurbishment of the balconies, facades, windows, stairwells and roofs, as well as new cellar ceiling insulation. In addition, the bathrooms and the building services equipment were renovated. District heating has now replaced the old furnace heating systems. An exceptional degree of effort was put into the windows: the historic double casement windows were not replaced by plastic frames, but rather painstakingly repaired. One of the particularly exciting measures in the project is a new building with four apartments. This closes the gap in the ensemble that had emerged during the war due to the destruction of the building’s original stoop. The new apartments consist of three three-room apartments and a maisonette. And that’s not all: two of the new apartments are suitable for people with disabilities.
The handling of rainwater is completely out of the ordinary. Seepage trenches were installed as part of the renovation of the outdoor areas. They ensure that rainwater is not simply drained via the sewer, but rather purified and seeped into the ground in an environmentally friendly way. Also of note are the new playground and – particularly important in bicycle-loving Prenzlauer Berg – the 400 new bike parking spaces.
One question remains: where does Topsstrasse get its unusual name? It was named after Hermann Tops, who was executed for being a communist and resistance fighter against Nazi Regime.
Photos: Georgios Anastasiades
